Flinders Electorate

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:34): I rise to speak on a major infrastructure gap for our state that means there is significant weather forecasting and knowledge deficiency for our community and industries. Did you know that between Ceduna and Adelaide there is no Doppler weather radar to allow for the accurate forecasting of weather? If you are an avid watcher of weather radar data, like many of us from regional South Australia, you would notice a big black circle over significant parts of Eyre Peninsula and Spencer Gulf. This was especially visible prior to last weekend's terribly destructive hailstorm that struck Port Pirie. There was no radar data letting emergency services know what was coming. It highlights the vital role that such a weather prediction radar system would play in regard to emergency management.

A lack of Doppler radar has also resulted in lost opportunities for our primary producers across both Eyre and Yorke peninsulas. The installation of a Doppler radar on Eyre Peninsula would allow for improved weather forecasting and an increased output by farmers across the region. Improvements in primary production business efficiency could yield increased economic gains in the tens of millions of dollars for South Australia. It would enable more appropriate decision-making for these businesses in an ever-changing and unpredictable climate and provide extra jobs in rural and regional communities.

Decisions around farming operations, such as applications of fertiliser and chemicals, are currently being made with a lack of up-to-date weather information. These decisions are often on treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars per pass and can potentially be left redundant if a farming business is unfortunately in the pathway of an unpredicted weather event, rainfall or wind.

Similar installations made by the Western Australian government in recent years have proven that there is significant return on investment, and this was in inland areas of the state, which are solely agriculture areas, whereas obviously here in South Australia, in my electorate and across the western part of our state, we have a substantial fishing and aquaculture industry, which would also see significant advantage with greater weather forecasting certainty, along with potential improved safety outcomes for both agriculture and aquaculture farmers, as well as tourism operators.

So whether it is major safety and decision-making challenges with emergency management or whether it is productivity opportunities for primary production, an investment in a Doppler weather radar on Eyre Peninsula would provide positive outcomes for communities and business here in South Australia.

Over several years, I have written to both federal and state ministers urging this vital investment. I welcome Grain Producers SA and other representatives getting on board with this campaign because I believe that the opportunity for this investment, with state government partnering with the federal government to deliver an outcome, will be a massive win for the people of South Australia as a whole.

I also rise today to speak on the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS), which is a significant and vital subject for my community of Eyre Peninsula and the West Coast. Obviously, the ideal for health delivery is as close to home as possible, but we who live in regional South Australia recognise that sometimes it is necessary to travel to get to that health care, especially specialist care. That is why I think it is so important for us to have a properly functioning and funded PATS to reflect the additional challenges and cost that regional people face when seeking medical care.

Health patients from my electorate in particular rely on an effective PATS, as the specialist health delivery within my community is so very limited. Thus, those patients have to travel significant distance, usually to Adelaide, which is 500, 600, 700-plus kilometres away, to receive that care. This needs to be an area of policy and investment focus for whoever is in government.

The accommodation allowance currently sits at only $44 per night. That is only $44 paid to families to stay the night in Adelaide. It hardly touches the sides with the significant costs they face. On top of this, that amount is only paid from the second night and subsequent night stays, not on the first night. It is well short of the costs that people actually incur. Obviously, to travel from my electorate, it is pretty difficult to do a daytrip for a medical appointment, so an overnight is necessary.

We need a PATS that recognises that crucial medical services do not get delivered into our regional communities. It needs to be a system that recognises the dynamic nature of healthcare need in regional South Australia and reflects the needs of those country people who rely on it. Our regional communities deserve better.